From a human resources perspective, we're trying to find out the most information in a short period of time and match the best candidates for current or future positions.

"Tell me about yourself" is one of the frequently asked questions. We're looking to see how your experience, interests, and career aspirations fit into our organization and the position you have applied for.

Questions that relate around your past experience most likely will indicate how you will do in the position you have applied for. There have been behavioral studies that back this up.

"What do you do in your free time or what are your hobbies?" These both give us an idea if you are creative, intellectual, etc. For example, a person that likes to play chess is generally someone that may be detailed and thinks analytically.

Questions that arise about what you are planning to do in five or 10 years may indicate to the recruiter if the candidate has done his/her homework about the organization and the job opportunities within the company. We don't generally want to hire people that are going to job-hop or just test the waters to see if they are going to like working in a particular company. Hiring employees and training them is expensive. We want to invest resources in people that are going to add value and stay with the organization and help it to be competitive in the marketplace.

People are some of the greatest assets in the organization and finding a really good fit for the organization and yourself are a key interest for both of us. Do your homework about the organization you are interviewing with and the position. Most job candidates do not do this. Those that do and have researched well, have already set themselves above other job candidates.

I find "interviews" for jobs dull; the resume is generally "inflated" information and most people are saying what they think the employer wants to hear. As Meomi wrote, giving someone the "Tell me about yourself" question is perhaps the best way to find out a little about that person. The best way to answer it in my opinion is with honesty and a firm hand-shake at the end of the interview if you haven't done that at the beginning.

This is one that a friend told me about when they conducted a high level interview. I would do this to comeone myself, but I've never forgotten it, so I'll share it in case it helps someone somewhere out there! Basically, he gave a complicated workplace scenario and then asked: 'How would you deal with this?' The candidate gave a text book answer. Then he said: 'Okay, that's your interview answer, but tell me what you would REALLY do'. The response was, without any sign of fluster: 'That IS what I would really do'. They got the job. They showed that they had confidence and were prepared ot stand by their decisions. Who knows.....maybe that kind of questioning will come up for you out there.....Good Luck!

Tell me about yourself is the most frequent question. I always recommend people write and practice and elevator speech about themselves. I am a professional XYX who specializes in ABC. I am especially proficient in 123. etc. Make it about skills, knowledge and abilities related to the job.

Whatever you do don't say I have 12 cats and a split personality or anything personal for that matter. Too many people think that is a personal question not a professional question.

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